March 23 will see the third meeting in Hinton Center’s “Community Collaborative” series. The center partnered with UNC-Greensboro in 2016 for an extensive study of the area’s quality of life. Researchers conducted interviews, surveys and focus groups to gather data on area assets and gaps.
In December 2016, Hinton hosted the first workshop, bringing together business leaders from across the region and state to present the researchers’ findings. Groups brainstormed and formed more focused committees, which met again in January.
There are seven committees, each centered around an issue the community could improve upon. These committees are technology, children’s issues, substance abuse, housing, education, lack of economic opportunity and transportation. At the January meeting, the seven committees discussed the main problems of each key issue and paths they could take to impact these problems. One gateway to success that every committee mentioned was funding. And on March 23, they will hear about best practices and get their much-needed chance to meet with key foundations about funding their solutions.
By Hannah Shepperd / Guest writer
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